Hunt for Perfect Detection of Parking Occupancy: Evaluation of On-Street Technology and Its Ability to Address Urban Challenges

For better management of on-street parking, cities are searching for ways to understand current usage of their on-street supply. Options for collecting on-street parking occupancy information range from manual data collection, which tends to be slow and not in real time, to in-ground sensors, which can provide real-time data but are costly and may have other issues related to battery life and their placement in the roadbed. This paper evaluates the various data collection methods and technologies for on-street parking. The District of Columbia Department of Transportation’s experience with various on-street technologies to detect parking occupancy is described, with a focus on how the technologies were able to identify solutions to the urban challenges inherent in the District. Criteria for a more in-depth analysis of on-street occupancy detection technology are described and presented as the next steps in the evaluation.